Someone somewhere in the audience of this incredible Dave Rawlings Machinevideo is singing this lost verse:

"We'll meet the King of Candy in the middle of June |
We'll meet the Queen of Candy in the middle of June |
They'll feed our sweet tooth in Telluride |
We know they got somethin' gonna satisfy..."

Yes, we are thrilled to welcome Dave Rawlings and his musical partner Gillian Welch back to Telluride this June. We can't wait. But be sure to follow this email all the way to the bottom, the sweet summer surprises are more deep and delicious than ever...

This June we welcome Dave Rawlings back to the Telluride stage - his musical companion Gillian Welch by his side, his 1935 Gibson Olympic under his arm, and a set of fantastic new songs waiting to be sung. When David closes his eyes, sways against his guitar, and blends his high tenor voice with Gillian's there's nowhere we'd rather be. Well, except maybe on a tarp listening to them fill Telluride's box canyon.

We'll kick off the 37th annual festival on Thursday morning with Sarah Jarosz - the voice of a new generation. Then three days later we'll begin the final ascent toward the festival finale with the sacred music and dance of the Drepung Loseling Monks, followed by the enchanting Swedish stringband Väsen - featuring a magical trio of nyckelharpa, 5-string viola, and specially-tuned 12-string guitar.

From Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas to Béla, Zakir & Edgar, Telluride Bluegrass is a shared musical journey like no other. From the Telluride House Band to Josh Ritter, it is a place where virtuosity and joy find inspiration under alpine peaks. From YMSB to Edward Sharpe, this is where passion and soul are pushed over the edge like snowmelt over nearby waterfalls. And oh so much more.

Tickets and camping are available now - shop.bluegrass.com or 800-624-2422. Take the first step in making this dream a reality: grab a pen, pull the calendar from your wall, and write "festivation" over June 17-20. Then order your tickets along with camping or lodging to spend the solstice weekend with Festivarian Nation.

We'll have still more major lineup announcements in the coming weeks. In the meantime, watch Telluride newcomers Mumford & Sons last night on David Letterman, order your festival tickets, and start dreaming of the sweet summer solstice.

John Prine writes two kinds of songs: great songs and really great songs. They're funny, they're heartbreaking, and they capture a slice of Americana like no one else. His songs - "Angel from Montgomery," "Paradise," "Sam Stone" - are the American songbook.

Much like his fellow artists on the 20th Annual Folks Festival lineup - Ani DiFranco, The Swell Season, Richard Thompson, and so many others - these songs ring with even more wit, truth, and power coming from their source. What a weekend it's going to be.

Alongside this year's undisputed legends, we introduce some new voices: From North Carolina via Paris and New York, Tift Merritt straddles country-folk-soul with a sweet lilting voice and artistic conviction. Canadian duo Dala revel in playful flights of melody and harmony, carrying the close harmonies of the Everly Brothers into the modern folk scene.

Marc Cohn, The Waifs, David Wilcox, and Jenny Lewis are already dreaming of their musical weekend along the St. Vrain River in Lyons. Make your plans to join them August 13-15. A very limited number of early-bird tickets ($30 discount) may still be available. Order right now and dedicate your savings to filling a couple notable gaps in your John Prine library.

Spaces in the Song School sold-out a few days ago - nearly three months earlier than last year! Don't be left behind without your Festival tickets - shop.bluegrass.com or 800-624-2422.

As the 38th Annual RockyGrass lineup unfolds, it's time to add dancing shoes to your packing list - right next to mandolin strings and vintage beer cups.

The post-modern mountain music of The Horse Flies return to Colorado for some late-night banjo-fiddle-uke trips into uncharted musical terrain. Former Telluride band contest winners (and stars of several 2009 Planet Bluegrass stages) Greensky Bluegrass make their long-awaited RockyGrass debut.

The progressive additions complement a lineup that already features Doc Watson, Patty Loveless, Jesse McReynolds & Bobby Osborne, Seldom Scene, Sam Bush, Tony Rice and many others. To which we also add Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen - a former member of the Navy's Country Current band and distinctive mandolin picker and vocalist.

You're festivarians, you know the story: campgrounds, contests, kids area. Long glorious days and nights along the St. Vrain River. The bluegrass New Year's. Take the next step: tickets and camping at shop.bluegrass.com or 800-624-2422.

We're excited to announce two more shows in the spring Wildflower Concert Series here in Lyons. On Friday, April 9 we celebrate two sides of Pete Wernick's musical personality with Flexigrass and Long Road Home. Then the following weekend help us welcome two powerhouse bands - the progressive bluegrass of Head for the Hills and the gritty/outlaw bluegrass of Town Mountain on April 16.

Join us at 7pm for beer and wine and the bonfire by the river, then head inside the cozy Wildflower Pavilion for an evening of music starting at 8pm. Tickets for these shows - as well as the March 27 season opener with Chatham County Line and MilkDrive - are available now at shop.bluegrass.com or 800-624-2422.

If you're like us, late March is just a little too long to wait for an evening of bluegrass. So we'd love for you to join us next Saturday, February 27, as Steep Canyon Rangers, Great American Taxi (featuring Vince Herman), and Danny Shafer take over the Boulder Theater. Tickets are available now. Or even better, send your name and phone number to freetix@bluegrass.com for your chance to win a pair of tickets.

As always, we love to hear from you - facebook, twitter, trading licks at your local jam, or on a sunny chairlift somewhere. Be well.